Help communities to conserve Peru's Dry Forests

Dear Friends,

A Rocha Peru and local communities continue to protect and conserve the dry forests in Pacasmayo, La Libertad.  During the period, the project team reached an agreement to protect and conserve a new forest area within a locality called El Hornito.  The project team toured the forest area and an inventory of flora was conducted. El Hornito comprises 24.6 hectares of land across three different zones.  The conservation of the forest is affected by local logging and carob charcoal production. In the Hornito forest, the flora inventory identified a richness of 6 species including 4 botanical families, with the "Algarrobo" dominating.  Also, the project team gave a talk to the local community about solid waste management, its classification, and its importance.

Another important achievement was the establishment of an Eco-school with the Tecapa secondary school.  The Eco-school aims to carry out environmental talks and gardening with students.  Veterinarian Alejandro Pereda, Coordinator of the NGO Dryforest Conservation Programme (DRYCOP), gave a talk about the interaction between domestic animals and the fauna found in the Private Conservation Area "El Cañoncillo", as well as the disappearance of the dry forest and how it affects the communities and their agriculture.

Furthermore, the project was visited by Zoila Cruz, an independent consultant who was tasked to perform an evaluation of the project.  It identified the current status of the project and provided a basis for its development in the coming years.  Interviews were conducted with the ARPE project team and project beneficiaries across 6 localities.  The evaluation was positive and showed that the results have been achieved to a large extent and to the satisfaction of the beneficiary villagers and small farmers. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the project but we were able to adapt and deal with this unforeseen event.

Currently, we are planning the extension of La Libertad Dry Forest Project in Pacasmayo for another cycle to ensure the continuity of activities and sustainability in restoring, and conserving dry forest landscapes.

Thank you for your incredible support. 

Stay safe and well.

A Rocha Peru